AnnieM's Stuff

Where to begin? Busy week.

Monday I went to the gastroenterologist. She moved up my colonoscopy....wants to find out what the hell is making me crap my brains out for so long. I was supposed to go Dec 1st, she moved it up this coming Wednesday. She was asking about my diet and fiber intake. I told her I eat a banana a day. She said, "bananas don't have much fiber." I said, "but I eat the peel." She looks at me and says, "you don't eat the peel! What are you, a monkey?" Then she says, "even monkeys don't eat the peels." Ha ha....a sense of humor.

Kathleen also put me back on Lexapro...which I was hoping for. I did really good on Lexapro before...it smoothed things out for me and I actually started laughing again. I worry about the fact that I don't laugh anymore....haven't for a few years. Things are funny and I should be laughing, but I rarely do. Just being honest.

So, I'm hoping the Lexapro deals with the level of depression I always seem to be experiencing and helps me do better, as it did before.

Went to see Kathleen, my nurse practitioner, on Tuesday. She said that my hernia is the biggest one she's ever seen, and "I've seen a lot of hernias." I told her, bah humbug...I'm sure she exaggerates. Anyway, it gets fixed in a couple of weeks.

After the Kathleen appointment I went up to Farmington for work. Easy gig, just had to sit there and answer questions about my "social history." Did that job again on Thursday afternoon.

Wednesday morning it was up and out early to Colchester to get the mirror fixed. It cost $300 damned dollars for that damned mirror. I could have punched the steering wheel again I was so disgusted. I still don't understand why I had to order the mirror myself and why I had to go all the way up there to pay for it before they would schedule me to get it installed. When I asked about having to pay for the part first the guy said it was because they don't ordinarily carry that part and "sometimes people order them and then don't come in for the repair."

So, I said, "so charge their credit card then. And why did I have to come all the way up here to sign for the purchase? Why can't they take my info over the phone like other places do?" He told me that was a policy of the parts dept. Of course the Parts Dept hadn't been able to shed any light on it when I had complained to them. So I guess I wait for the survey that they send every time I bring the car up there. Interesting, they haven't sent it to me yet...usually they are calling, etc., the next day!

Thursday I worked in the afternoon and went to Trader Joe's on the way home. Picked up some great meats and cheeses for Bob's birthday picnic...and some great bread. I love Trader Joe's. I wish we had one around here...I'd be there all the time. Came home and my new MacBook Pro had arrived. It's BEAUTIFUL!

Friday morning I got up early again and called into WINY and the "Remember When" show that Steve Bousquet and Gary O do. I had written to Gary and told him I wanted to call in and talk about Bob Miller. Gary announced that it was Bob's 90th birthday and the fun began. I talked about Bob and the scouts and being selectman, town historian, etc. Then several folks called in, recalling when he was their Boy Scout leader and telling stories.

Friday night I downloaded my Sweden pictures and tried to make a slide show and burn it to DVD....I did it about three times and couldn't figure it out. I think I need Russ here to show me how to use it.

It was fun and we went over time...but they didn't seem to mind. Afterwards I called Bob, who had been listening and was thrilled.

Gary spilled the beans that we were having a picnic for Bob on Sunday, something we had hoped to keep small. He actually encouraged people to drop by the park to say hi to Bob, which I was praying they wouldn't, because it can throw Bob for a tizz.

Saturday I drove up to Worcester to get Maria at the train station. We snuck over to Coney Island and had "the works"...delicious. Saturday night Roxie came over and we cooked steaks and had a wonderful supper and visit. I showed them my Sweden pictures, still on the DVD from Cooper's...not the stripped down, enhanced, cropped photos that I will finally have on a DVD once I get Russ here, or I figure out how to do it myself.

Roxie stayed over and left early Sunday morning to get to work on time. Maria and I had breakfast and then packed up the picnic basket and cooler and headed to Putnam. We stopped at Stop and Shop up there en route to Bob's house and picked up a few more items.

Bob and Wini were all ready to picnic, so we loaded them into the car and went down to Miller park. We sat on the bench and made sandwiches with pickles and a cup of coffee. The weather was gorgeous. So sunny and warm! The air was crisp and clear. Soon we were removing our jackets and sweaters and just enjoying the sun. Phil came down on his motorcycle later and we all took a short walk down the river trail. On the way back we stopped in the shade at the Button Shop, sat on the picnic benches and rested. Maria and I ran across the street and got coffees and donuts for Bob and ourselves.

Then Bob, Wini, Maria and I headed out for a foliage ride. Took them to a lot of "old memory" places...the shop where Bob worked his whole life; down where Bob used to keep his boat; Roseland Park; North Woodstock; St Mary's camp and then down to buy apples; mums and other goodies at the orchard store. Then we took the happy birthday boy and his bride home.

It was a great day. I hope Bob remembers some of it. I really do. He doesn't remember much. Like today in church people who heard the show on Friday and who had heard Gary O announcing Bob's birthday, came up to Bob after mass to wish him happy birthday...Wini said Bob was thrilled...but by the time we saw him a few hours later, he didn't remember it.

Oh well...such is life. We know we had a great day with our Dad and we know he loved it while it was happening. That's all that matters.

Tomorrow I take Maria back up to Boston. Maybe we'll get to roam around a bit. Maybe go to the Cafe Polonia.....maybe....


Nighty night!